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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23547598">Nothing Left to Lose</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkNecromancer/pseuds/PinkNecromancer'>PinkNecromancer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo, Emotional Hurt, How Do I Tag, Hurt Varian (Disney), Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, My First Fanfic, Poor Varian (Disney), Sad Varian (Disney), Serious Injuries, Sorry Not Sorry, Trans Varian (Disney), Whump, no beta reading we die like mne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:48:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23547598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkNecromancer/pseuds/PinkNecromancer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Being the smartest kid in Corna has its disadvantages, even more so when you've already got a slew of enemies. Thats it, that's all i got.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>211</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have never written a fic before ever! But we're all just stuck at home anyway so why not give it a try. I would love your notes. Sorry in advance</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>           Varian trotted after Rapunzel happily as she discussed the plans for improving upon the castle. She had dragged him away from his lab that morning to have an early lunch with the King and Queen. He was still a little awkward around them, after all, he had been the source of a lot of their problems little over two years ago. But it was all business today and where Varian stumbled uncomfortably and the King sat on stiffly, the Queen and Rapunzel made up for it tenfold with their soft and bright enthusiasm. Rapunzel wanted to improve the living conditions of the prisoners in the dungeons. A greasy mold had started growing in the south side of the dungeons, much colder and damper than the rest of the area, and it was giving the convicts a nasty cough. Varian remembered his own time in the dark cells beneath the palace. He had only confided in Rapunzel how awful it had been once, in a moment of nightmare-fueled weakness. It had been cold, so cold all the time, and when it stormed in the city above the runoff water would find its way into the already damp cells. He suffered through a lot of discomforts during his time in prison, but the cold had easily been the worst. Apparently shortly after his broken confessions to the princess, a new supply or thick woollen blankets had been delivered to each prisoner.<br/>
          Varian hadn’t been back there since they’d locked up the Saporians after the failed attempt to destroy the kingdom. Passing through the door that led down to the cells brought on a wave of painful emotions. He had passed through this door once and hadn’t left its dark interior for months. But it was different now, he was different, and he needed to see the mold himself if he wanted to find a way to stop it. Rapunzel didn’t seem to notice his hesitation at the door and kept on chatting about all the ideas she had as they descended. Varian pushed aside his reservations and followed.</p>
<p>          “Hey kid, long time no see.” Varian stopped in his tracks at the disturbingly familiar voice. Ahead oh him Rapunzel’s tirade of questions and concerns was abruptly cut off. “Good to see the Crown forgives treasonous little rats like you.” Andrew said casually, leaning his head back on the stone walls of the prison, a sly smile playing on his lips. Rapunzel whirled around and was making her way back down the dungeon to where Varian had been stopped by surprise. Her hand circled around Varian’s wrist just as Andrew spoke again. “Cause Saporian’s don’t.”<br/>
          “Leave him alone Andrew.” Rapunzel said coldly as she pulled Varian to her side. She was about to drag Varian away and get back to the task at hand, when Andrew called out again, “how’s your dad?” She felt Varian jolt at the question. He withdrew his hand from hers and turned back to face the Saporian.<br/>
          “Rapunzel freed him.” Varian kept his voice neutral, he didn’t need to remember how many days he’d spent crying to Andrew about his father, the rocks, the princess, and how Andrew had used all of that to spur on Varian’s anger and twist him around Andrew’s finger even more.<br/>
          “Ahhh,” Andrew mused, inspecting his fingernails carefully. “That explains why you’re trailing after the princess doing her bidding.”<br/>
          “I’m the Royal Engineer, I’m doing my job!” Varian couldn’t help but snap. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rapunzel shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her hand reaching out for him, but she stopped herself.<br/>
          “Royal Engineer, well congrats kid.” Andrew turned his attention to Rapunzel and continued, “that’s a good way to keep him under your thumb Princess, well done.”<br/>
          “What- no!” Rapunzel gasped and Varian took an unconscious step back, away from the bars separating him and Andrew. Andrew smirked as he looked the scrawny teen over.<br/>
          “You gotta’ admit kid, you’re easy to manipulate.” He sneered and Varian took another involuntary step backwards. Rapunzel grabbed his wrist again in an iron grip and dragged him down the hall, fuming. Even though Varian had grown a lot since they first met, he still had to jog to keep up with her furious march. She didn’t slow down and release him until they had rounded two corners and gone down a staircase.<br/>

          “I’m so sorry I brought you down here Varian.” She watched his expression carefully, trying to gauge how hurt her pseudo-baby brother was from the altercation.<br/>
          “It – It’s okay Rapunzel, we have to get a sample of the mold, it's not like it can be avoided.” Varian offered weekly. He was avoiding her gaze.<br/>
          "Varian,” the princess said softly, lifting a hand to brush against his cheek. He shrunk away from her touch.<br/>
          “That’s not why you made me Royal – Royal Engineer is it?” His voice barely a whisper, he refused to meet her eyes. Doubt, she realised, filled him. Doubt about the last year and a half, about their renewed bond, about the faith she puts in him. She let her hand drop to his shoulder.<br/>
          “Varian, can you think of any other person in this kingdom who is as qualified as you for the job?” She said firmly now. He glanced up at her through his lashes before looking away again. “And can you count for me how many times you’ve helped save this kingdom, cause it’s a lot. I made you Royal Engineer because there is no one I love and trust more who could do it.” Varian let a small smile form on his lips, before looking back at her beaming face, radiating love and kindness like she always had.<br/>
          “Thanks, Rapunzel.” He let her squeeze him into a suffocating hug before they continued their mission.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eugene and Varian get some spotlight, just cause I love their relationship so much. Andrew is still a creep.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>          “Varian’s improved on his speed balloon, have you taken a ride in it yet?”<br/>
          “Naw, Eugene’s decided everyone needs to take a safety course after the incident with Stan.”<br/>
          “Ha, of course. Varian made a really nice salve though for Stan’s burns. It was incredible, it’s like the burns almost evaporated, he was up and working again the next day!”<br/>
          “Wow, that kid is a genius!”<br/>
          Andrew grit his teeth as the guards did their rounds, oblivious to the stinking convicts around them. He watched a roach crawl through the bars of his cell as the guards passed him by. That little shit was walking free, working for the princess, while he was stuck, rotting in prison. After everything he’d worked for, Varian had thrown it all away in a moment. Andrew’s eyes followed the bug as it moseyed across the floor of his cell. With a swift movement, Andrew pinned the roach under his foot and watched it wriggle in panic.<br/>
          “Shouldn’t have taken your freedom for granted.” He said under his breath, slowly crushing the bug, its legs flailing wildly now. Andrew glanced up at the cell across from his. Clementine was watching him carefully. Andrew looked back down at his struggling captive. “We’re getting out of here. And when we do, well…” He let the rest of his weight fall, squishing the tiny bug to goo. “Traitors of Saporia pay with their lives.”</p><p>          The nights Varian spent in the capitol were usually pleasant, filled with hot coca, warm hugs and laughter. Rapunzel and Eugene liked to spend whatever free time they could cooing over Varian, and honestly, he didn’t mind. He had never really had any friends growing up, not that it had bothered him. He had always been too busy figuring out new formulas and devising ways to improve the quality of life for the residents of Old Corona. He hadn’t been lonely, but now that he had someone barging in on him all the time and watching over his shoulder constantly distracting him, he found he liked the interruptions. He liked the attention, the bright curiosity from Rapunzel, the playful jibes from Eugene, even the potentially disastrous visits from Lance and the girls weren’t the worst, so long as Varian kept his eye on them. He liked feeling the warmth in his heart that came from knowing they wanted to spend time with him.<br/>
          Sadly, tonight Rapunzel was in a long and probably boring meeting discussing all preparations for the upcoming arrival of the ambassador of Equis, and Eugene was supposed to be doing after dark training exercises with the guards. Tonight would be a good night to catch up some of his research for a couple of projects he had on-going back in Old Corona. With Rudiger perched on his shoulder, Varian made his way to the library to waste away the rest of the night.</p><p><br/>
          That was where Eugene found him sometime later, nestled into an armchair, with a tower of books piled beside him, and a sleeping racoon in his lap.<br/>
          “Goggles! There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Eugene waited until he was close enough to Varian that he didn’t have to shout, it was a library after all. He still managed to make the young alchemist jump; he’d been so engrossed in his book he hadn’t even heard the captain approaching.<br/>
          “Eugene, what are you?” Varian spotted the two steaming mugs Eugene was carrying. “You know Eugene, the King isn’t going to be too pleased if he finds out you are skipping out on training your guardsmen again.”<br/>
          “Oh, come on kid, you’re not going to tell on me, are you?” He whined as he placed both mugs of hot chocolate down on the small table between the large wing-back chairs. Varian just scoffed at him and rolled his eyes. “Hear me out on this,” Eugene let himself fall into the big empty chair next to Varian, after stealing one of Varian’s extra pillows out from under him. “The whole night-time exercises were mine and Lance’s idea to start, we thought, hey, why not make better guards out of these chumps by making better thieves out of them first. After all, the best guard of all is yours truly and look at my tragic beginnings.” Varian rolled his eyes again and helped himself to the hot chocolate Eugene had brought him. “But these men just aren’t cut out to be thieves. They have no concept of stealth, zero dexterity, and absolutely no flair.”<br/>
          “What does flair have to do with being a thief?”<br/>
          “You’ve read the tales of Flynnigan Ryder, keep up.”<br/>
          “Point made.” Varian agreed.<br/>
          “Anyway,” Eugene continued, a hand going to rub his neck. “As much as I think it would improve the guards’ effectiveness if we broadened our skills, guys like Stan and Pete just aren’t the rougey type. Maybe a more utilitarian approach is required, what do you think, maybe there’s a job for Team Awesome in there somewhere.” He leaned over to nudge Varian in the ribs, causing the boy to slosh his drink onto a startled Rudiger. Varian couldn’t help but laugh at the scandalized expression on his furry friend’s face.<br/>
          “Sorry bud,” he chuckled, using his apron to clean up the mess.<br/>
          “And I wanted to see how you were doing.” Eugene said quietly, more serene now than he had been just a moment ago.<br/>
          “I’m fine?” Varian said, caught off guard by Eugene’s candour.<br/>
          “Rapunzel told me you and her took a little trip down to the dungeons today.”<br/>
          “Oh.” Varian understood now. He had his moments of grief, both Rapunzel and Eugene knew that. Sometimes looking back at his past was hard, but it was behind him now and he was working hard to be a better person every day. Did they think seeing Andrew would set him back?<br/>
          “Kid – Varian, you know that guy doesn’t deserve even a second of your thought, right?” Eugene waited expectantly but Varian could only look away, running his fingers through Rudiger’s fur.<br/>
          “I’m fine, Eugene, really.” He tried lamely. Varian felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and when he turned on instinct the thief caught him with a genuine look.</p><p><br/>
          “Varian,” Eugene started again. “You don’t have to talk about anything if you don’t want to, but I am always, always here for you to talk to. We’re Team Awesome, we can tell each other anything, okay?” He gave Varian’s shoulder a light squeeze and smiled softly. He had come to care for the kid a lot more than he had ever thought. Varian nodded and then looked away again, as if mulling over Eugene’s words and trying to decide if it was as plain and simple as the thief suggested it was. He decided it could be and took a deep steadying breath.<br/>
          “Its just- I spent so much time hanging off every word he said, convincing myself he was right, that now it’s hard to tell myself he’s messing with me. Like realistically I know he is, I know that’s all he ever really did, but I –it’s like I conditioned myself into believing every word he said because I was so angry and confused and I was-” Varian cut himself off abruptly realising his voice had risen and was shaking, his eyes stinging slightly.</p><p><br/>
          “You were alone.” Eugene finished for him. When had Eugene moved from his chair to the space in front of Varian. He was crouched down, so he could look up into the young alchemist’s eyes. “Kid, you were doing what you needed to survive in a lot of really awful situations, and no one holds that against you, and if anyone does, I will rob them blind. He was there for you when you needed someone, anyone to talk too. It’s okay that it’s hard to let go of that. No one is asking you to be okay with how he used you, all I’m asking is that you believe me when I say he isn’t worth it. You are so much more than him kid.”<br/>
          Varian bit his lip, trying hard to focus on the words his friend was saying. It wasn’t often that Eugene was this sincere with anyone, he wanted to remember these words.</p><p>          “Thank you.” He smiled softly as Eugene stood up and replaced himself in his chair once again. Varian went to take another sip of hot chocolate. “He-Heey!” Eugene had swapped the mugs when he wasn’t paying attention, leaving Varian with his empty mug.<br/>
          “Look I love you kid, but you have to be faster than that.” He said and took a long drink out of Varian’s cup. Varian couldn’t help but laugh. Nights like this were more than he ever could have hoped for.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Someone stays up too late doing alchemy. Someone else escapes prison.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>          “Rudiger, careful bud!” Varian chastised as the racoon jumped up onto the table, his tail just barely avoiding knocking over an Erlenmeyer flask. Rudiger chittered back at his friend and then leapt up onto the boy’s shoulders. “We wouldn’t want this to spill.” Varian moved the flask out of the way and pulled up a petri dish with a few spots of dark rust coloured flakes in it instead. Last months project of removing the mold from the dungeons had been a success, the quality of health for the prisoners, petty thieves and murders alike, had drastically improved. The success urged Varian to search for other ways to improve upon the castle; age and neglect left certain corridors dark and dusty, spare armaments rusted from disuse, old plaster and frescos discoloured and cracked after decades of exposure to the sun. None really pressing matters, but Varian found between larger projects for the kingdom that he thoroughly enjoyed perfecting little things around the castle.</p><p><br/>
          He scribbled down a few more calculations in his notebook, cross-referencing them with the other heavy texts open on his desk before jotting down the final measurements and scribbling a few lines under it.<br/>
          “Okay, Rudiger are you ready!” The racoon squeaked at him playfully as Varian adjusted the goggles he’d made for his friend over the racoon’s eyes. He pulled his own down and then got to work carefully measuring out the acidic compound in the flask. “I triple-checked the measurements buddy, but we’re still going to do a test run at one-fourth of what my calculations were. Start off slow. The phosphoric acid didn’t have quite the kick we want, we need something a little tougher for what we’re dealing with, but this,” Varian held up a pipette with a light liquid in it. “This should get the job done!” He let three drops of the chemical fall into the flask Rudiger had almost knocked over earlier. The chemicals hissed and bubbled for a moment before settling into a soft blue liquid.</p><p><br/>
          “Perfect! Okay, let’s give it a try.” Varian reached for the flask but stopped to take a moment and stretch. He could feel the familiar tightness in his chest that suggested he had been working for too long. Rudiger pawed at his neck, knowing that it was well past time for the boy to be up. “You’re right, I know.” Varian laughed as he lifted his friend off his shoulders and set him on the floor. “But we’ve come this far, we might as well see it through, come on buddy, what’s half an hour more?” The racoon huffed at his boy, but he knew well enough that once Varian’s mind was set on an experiment, there was little Rudiger could do to remind him about his own health. He made a few more squeaks of protest before curling up in the little bed by Varian’s workbench.<br/>
          Varian smiled softly at his friend before stretching out again and looking down at his chest. He was a little sore, but he could work through it. He just wanted to see the results and then he could retire. He got back to measuring out the smallest amount of his compound possible.</p><p> </p><p>          Andrew was getting impatient. Every day was the same, the sun would creep across the sky and seep into the stones in the palace courtyard and the castle would come to life. The gardeners would go out and pick fresh fruit from the royal gardens, the cooks and bakers would start their roaring fires to make the feasts for the day, message boys would run back and forth all through the castle, while flocks of servants and handmaidens would bustle about with fresh laundry, warm towels and trays of food. Every day the castle would burst to life as the sun crested the horizon, but down in the dungeons, the only thing that moved was the guards on their rounds. There was no difference between night and day for Andrew, the torches always lit, air as stagnant as the time standing still around him. It was maddening. Every day he watched patiently, looking for the right moment to strike, but no opportunity ever seemed to arise. The guards were methodical, never a minute late in the rounds, he had even timed them! He was starting to lose hope of ever being free again, of ever wrapping his hands around that little runt's throat and shaking the life out of him. He was going to die down here.</p><p><br/>
          Clementine coughed a forced and unnatural cough. It pulled Andrew out of his wallowing, and he looked up at her, across the corridor from him. She caught his gaze and motioned discreetly to the door down the hall, where the two guards where standing. They both looked impatient, one was tapping his foot.<br/>
          “Where is our replacement?” One of them asked the other. Andrew strained to hear the conversation.<br/>
          “I don’t know Pete, I have the same amount of information as you do.”<br/>
          “It was supposed to be the new guy Kamet and his buddy Costis, right?”<br/>
          “Yes Pete, that is who it is supposed to be.”<br/>
          “Should we go and see where they are?” Andrew’s heart soared for a moment before the other guard replied and crushed his hopes.<br/>
          “No Pete! You know we can’t leave the dungeons unguarded! Come on!” The guard said, exasperated. From further down the hall, past the doors came clumsy panicked steps.<br/>
          “There you are.” Said the impatient guard.<br/>
          “Sorry,” said the newcomer, huffing to try and catch his breath. “Sorry, sorry, Costis wasn’t feeling well, he’s on his way, just getting into uniform.”<br/>
          “Okay, it’s fine, you’re here now. You are to patrol this entire block, every 5 minutes, do you understand?”<br/>
          “Yes, sir.” And with that, the other two guards left. This was the one they had said was new, Andrew had certainly never seen this guard before. New and alone, but for how much longer, Andrew couldn’t be sure. They wouldn’t get a chance like this again. Clementine had woken Kai up at some point and they were both waiting for Andrew to give them a signal. He let a small unkind smile flash across his face before nodding and heading to the back corner of his cell to retrieve something.<br/>
          Kai started to howl and scream, banging his fists on the bars. Clementine was shouting and laughing behind his bulking figure. The confused guard immediately rushed to their cell.<br/>
          “Please!” Kai wailed, “you have to get me out of here! I can’t take one more second with her, she’s going to kill me!!!!!” Andrew rolled his eyes; kai was really laying it on thick. The rooky guard stepped closer to the cell, trying to see past Kai’s imposing figure, but Clementine just cackled and moved further out of his view.<br/>
          “What’s wrong, what’s going on?!” the guard fell for the trap, he moved too close to the bars of the cell straining to see what had caused the prisoner to suddenly panic when Kai snatched out and grabbed the guard.<br/>
          "Wha – Hey!” The guard struggled for a moment, but managed to pull himself free from Kai’s grasp, stumbling backwards, and right into the heavy chunk of stone Andrew had uncovered from his hiding spot. The blow was a solid one and Andrew had to juggle the piece of brick and grab the belt of the guard before he slumped to the ground completely. Andrew carefully drew his hand back into his cell, setting the stone down on the floor beside him, before using both hands to properly manhandle the unconscious body of the guard so he could reach the keys.</p><p><br/>
          The sound of the key turning in the lock was like music to his ears. He opened the cell for Clementine and Kai, and then the cell further down for his other two companions.<br/>
          “The little brat made an air balloon for them, that’s our ticket out of here. You two,” he pointed to Masie and Juniper. “Find the other guard and knock him out. You,” he looked to the others. “get that balloon ready. I have a little bug to squash.”<br/>
          “Andrew, wait.” Clementine grabbed his arm as he turned to go. “He’s a resource. We shouldn’t waste him.” He paused to consider her words. Varian had proven instrumental in their previous attempt to destroy Corona. He could engineer weapons of destruction and make alchemies that could absolutely devastate. As much as he wanted to drop him off the very highest tower in the castle, there could be satisfying ways to get him to cooperate as well.<br/>
          “You’re right, I wasn’t thinking about the greater good of Saporia. Go, get the guard, get the balloon. I’ve got to pick up some supplies, and an old friend.”</p><p> </p><p>          The night had slipped by without Varian noticing. Another hour, an hour and a half, two hours, passed before Varian decided it was actually time to call it a night. He hadn’t quite perfected his formula yet, it was removing the flakes of rust he was testing, but it also rapidly sped up the oxidization of the metals – which was really defeating the whole purpose. As much as he wanted to continue though he could feel the heavy fog of exhaustion in his mind. He was methodically clearing his workspace, corking all his bottles and wiping down the table when he heard the door open. The footsteps were soft but very clearly wearing shoes, not Rapunzel then. Eugene? Why would he be awake at this hour, other than to make sure a certain alchemist was getting proper rest. Varian hurried to shove the last of his beakers aside, tomorrows problem.</p><p>          “I know, I know, I was just about to go to bed-” he said turning around before the words caught in his throat. He drew in a deep breath, ready to yell at the top of his lungs but Andrew was too fast. He backhanded the alchemist across the face, knocking Varian to the ground. A bright white spot of pain pin-pointed where Varian’s head hit the floor. He could hear a loud ringing in his ears, and what sounded like Andrew talking, but it was like the words were coming from underwater. Black spots danced across his vision and remembering how to breathe was a challenge.<br/>
          “ou’re little inventions Varian. Can’t say the same about you.” Andrew stepped over Varian’s stunned body, and up to his workbench. Over the ringing din, Varian heard a feral hiss and then a startled cry from Andrew. Rudiger went careening into the bookshelf, knocking a slew of beakers and jars down. The racoon fell to the ground with a soft thump and then didn’t move.<br/>
          “Rudi-RUDIGER!” Varian choked out, lifting himself up onto shaking arms. His head was throbbing, his vision was blurred. Andrew was suddenly in front of him again, his leg reeled back as if to – oh! Varian really wished he’d taken his binder off sooner, as Andrew’s foot connected with his ribs and Varian’s vision went black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Varian gets 'napped.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry this took me forever to update, I had a dnd game to wrap up. Now that I'm done emotionally scarring my friends, I have more time to work on emotionally scarring everyone else.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>          Varian’s vision was swimming in and out of focus. Each lurching movement made everything spin. The world was sideways, and jumping up and down, and his ribs were burning with each lurch – oh, he was moving. He was being carried, thrown over someone’s shoulder like a sack. The last few moments in his lab came crashing back and he immediately gripped at the back of his abductor, trying to wriggle free. Andrew shouted as Varian started to thrash in his grip, and then the larger man grabbed at Varian’s collar and threw him to the hard, stone ground of the courtyard. For the second time that night, Varian had to remember to breathe, the impact forcing the breath out of his lungs and leaving him gasping.</p>
<p>          “Kai!” Andrew brought his foot down on the alchemist’s chest, effectively pinning him. Varian tried to suck in some air, he needed to fill his lungs if he wanted to scream for help, but Andrew leaned heavily on him. Both of Varian’s hands flew up to try wrap around Andrew's leg, try to throw him off, try anything, but it was no use; Andrew was so much stronger than him. Another figure loomed over him, Kai yanked Varian’s hands away and quickly tied them together. Andrew went to pick him up but as soon as the weight was lifted from Varian’s chest he gulped down as much air as he could and started to cry out. Andrew’s hand slapped over his mouth, the other one around his throat as he hauled Varian to his feet and started to drag him toward – oh god. The air balloon, if they got him on that they could be well out of Corona’s reach in a day. Rapunzel would never be able to catch up, he couldn’t let them get him on that damn balloon.</p>
<p>          Varian dug his heels into the ground to try and stop Andrew from bodily dragging him. Varian took a deep breath through his nose and sunk his teeth into Andrew’s palm. The man yelped and dropped the alchemist. Varian scrambled to his feet, already calling out at the top of his lungs.</p>
<p>         “HELP! RAPUNZ-” Kai threw himself at the teen and sent them both crashing to the ground. The big man landed on top of Varian and he heard a sickening pop as his shoulder connected with the stonework of the courtyard. Stars exploded in his vision and his stomach lurched. He grit his teeth as Kai manhandled him to a standing position. Andrew stood before him, and Varian noticed the small claw marks across his face, along with his now bleeding hand.<br/>“Oh, I’m going to enjoy making you pay for that,” Andrew said viciously, and then he reeled back and slammed his fist into Varian’s face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>          Eugene had been pulled out of bed not even three minutes ago by a patrolling guardsman who had stumbled across an unconscious Costis. Eugene had not even bothered with his armaments; he had grabbed his sword and went to investigate. He had only just made it out into the courtyard before he heard a cry that made his heart stop.</p>
<p>          “HELP! RAPUNZ-” Varian’s voice was strangled and high-pitched. Eugene broke into a run, calling the other guards to his side. Varian’s voice had come from the other end of the courtyard, past the stables. There was a pained yelp and Eugene could feel true panic coursing through his veins now.<br/>He rounded the corner, the heavy clatter of his armed guards only a few paces behind him. The high-speed air balloon was fired up and ready to go, the Saporians lifting an unconscious Varian into its basket. Eugene felt his blood turn to lead. Varian.</p>
<p>          “STOP THEM!” He roared, but it was clear to him they wouldn’t make it in time, Andrew and his cronies were cutting the ropes and cranking the throttle. The balloon lurched into the air. “No, no, no! Shoot them down!” The balloon was already fifteen feet, twenty feet in the air, dancing over the roof of the stables and the guard barracks. “NOW!” He yelled, furious that he had left his own crossbow in his room.<br/>Around him his guardsmen drew their crossbows, but Andrew was faster. He dragged Varian by the collar into plain view and pulled a serrated knife to the unconscious boy’s throat.</p>
<p>          “If even a single arrow is loosed, you’ll see the brat die.” He called from the slowly rising balloon. Eugene threw his hand up, holding off his guards. Andrew waited, watching the scramble of men below him as the balloon lifted higher and higher.</p>
<p>          “Stand down,” Eugene said. It broke his heart to watch, as the balloon floated away taking the alchemist with it. Andrew stood, smiling smugly at the captain of the guard until Eugene could not make out his face anymore. “Damnit, no!” He rounded on his men. “Saddle up, I need a group trailing that balloon, don’t lose sight of it. Take a hawk, and do not engage. We can’t risk them hurting Varian.” He instructed 5 men on duty to head out immediately, and another 2 to finish searching the palace for any other harmed guards.</p>
<p>         “Sir, will you be joining us?”</p>
<p>         “I’ll be along in a few hours, keep that balloon in sight! I need to get a few things first.” He turned and ran back into the place. He knew he was asking them to do the impossible. With the upgrades Varian had done on the balloon, it would outpace a horse easily. They would have no idea where to go though unless they tried. He was not about to give up, but he needed to alert Rapunzel first. They had an alchemist to save.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>         Rapunzel was awoken to the sounds of frantic scrapping on her door. She threw the covers off and hurried to investigate, the clawing growing more and more desperate with each passing second.</p>
<p>         “Rudiger, what –” the raccoon was bristled from head to toe and leapt up onto her shoulders as soon as she opened the door. He hissed and chirped at her before jumping back down to the ground and scrambling down the hallway. Varian, she thought immediately. Rapunzel followed at a run, hoping her friend had not hurt himself too badly in a midnight experiment. Absentmindedly Rapunzel realised that Rudiger was leading her downstairs, not to Varian’s lab like she would have imagined. They passed a window, and the high-speed air balloon caught her eye, rising steadily out of reach of the hoard of guards chasing after it.</p>
<p>         “Oh no. Varian.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sorry this took so long, I'm a trash person</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>          Varian’s vision was still spotty, everything was overly bright and hard to look at. His head was throbbing, the pain radiating from the spot that had smacked into the hard floor of his lab. If the throbbing didn’t make it so hard to think clearly, Varian would recognise the symptoms of a concussion. As it was though, he was just trying to remember to breathe.<br/>
He was vaguely aware of his surroundings as Andrew brought the balloon down in some clearing in the woods, roughly offloading the dazed alchemist. Andrew barked some orders, lost on Varian, to his saporians - something about Vardaros and supplies - before shoving the alchemist into a boarded-up cottage sitting just behind the tree line.</p><p>          It was dark and cool inside, but the abrupt transition from bright morning light to the dark shabby interior was alarming. Varian’s feet couldn’t keep up with Andrew insistent shoving. He stumbled and then fell, hard. With his hand tied behind him, he had nothing to stop the ground from rushing up to meet his face. The dark cottage exploded in a starburst of light for a moment, Varian felt his nose crunch.<br/>
Above him Andrew laughed, he said something too but Varian couldn’t make out the words - didn’t care to anyway. He was hoisted back up by the shoulders and dragged to the far side of the room. Andrew used one hand to hold onto his prisoner and the other to throw open a trap door in the old creaky floorboards, leading down into the cellar. He tossed Varian in without pause and let the heavy door fall shut.</p><p>         Varian laid still on the hard-packed dirt, waiting for the ringing in his ears to die down, the throb in his shoulder from where he had landed to subside, the dull ache in his head to let him think again. Panic washed over him in uncontrollable waves. It had been nighttime when Andrew had attacked him, it was probably late morning now. At the very least he was in the air for 7 hours - almost a week by horseback.<br/>
Varian ran over the growing list of injuries he had accumulated. He had hit his head at least twice, his ribs felt like they were on fire - at the very least they were bruised. He needed to get his binder off. His shoulder was sore, from when Kai had landed on him and just now when he’d fell on it after being dropped into the cellar. And of course, the drying blood on his face only suggested a broken nose.<br/>
At this rate, he couldn’t wait for Rapunzel to come to rescue him. Andrew was going to kill him long before that. Hot roiling panic washed over him again and his breath hitched, catching in his throat and stuttering out. His lungs were burning, his chest felt like it was being crushed. If he had just gone to bed like Ruddiger wanted…</p><p><br/>
          Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic, he forced his mind to stop, taking a long slow careful breath in. He held it for a painful moment and then let it go, before repeating the process. Okay, so things were not looking great. He was hurt, tied up and in the dark. Well, he could do something about the tied up part right? Slowly, Varian rolled onto his knees and then pushed himself up into a sitting position. He waited for the vertigo to pass before focusing his attention on the knots around his bare wrists. They were tight, but the fibres of the rope had enough give that he might be able to wiggle out of them.</p><p>          He started to work away at the knots, it was going to be a long process that no doubt would leave his wrists raw and bloodied. Slowly his eyes began to adjust to the gloom, a soft filtered light, barely there, emanated from the far wall. Varian watched the shapes and silhouettes form as his eyes got used to the dark. He was in a small cellar, probably only half the actual size of the main floor of the cottage. It was shallow, Varian craned his neck up to see the light seeping through the cracks where the trap door was. He would be able to stand upright in the space but he doubted Andrew would. Good - maybe he could use his size against him for one.<br/>
The cellar had a few boxes and one decaying barrel, all coated with a heavy layer of dust and debris. Thick cobwebs lined the walls and clung to the beams supporting the floor above him. Varian squinted at the rectangle of light on the far wall above him, trying to recognise it. He let his eyes focus on its spectral form while he worked away at his restraints. He pulled and picked at the knots until the fibres loosened, and then began the painful process of sliding the rope over his hands.<br/>
He could see a cross-section in the light, dividing it into 4 smaller rectangles. The light had different colours and faint outlines, a green hue to it that Varian hadn’t been able to make out before. He absentmindedly stared while pulling away at the rope, and then with one last tug the coils of hemp rope slid free.</p><p>           For a moment Varian sat there, unsure what to do next. The rope lay next to him, still tangled in knots. Maybe - maybe he could use it to strangle Andrew when he came down to get him, or lay a tripwire and then when Andrew was down he could use some of the rotted wood to bash his head in. Or maybe - he could figure out what the light was.</p><p>          Varian took his time standing, first scooting over to the nearest stack of damp boxes to lift himself up. Things titled dangerously for a moment and then the world righted itself. Once he was steady and confident in his ability to walk he picked his way toward the light, hands outstretched in front of him. He hit the far wall. He could see the pane of glass now, with condensation building upon it, and long blades of grass on the other side of the window. The window, a window, a way out. Gods he was slow, how hard had he hit his head? He reached up gingerly to touch the throbbing spot on his head, hissing as his fingers kissed over the tender spot. That will have to wait, Varian decided. He needed to focus all of his attention on getting far away from Andrew, and then he could lick his wounds.<br/>
Varian reached up to the window sill, just a little above eye level. He placed his hands on the cool glass and pushed experimentally. The frame hardly budged, the wood had warped and expanded from the dampness. This entire building was a rotting mess, Varian was surprised from the infrastructure that it was standing at all. He shoved again, only moving the pane by a fraction of an inch. And again, with similarly disappointing results. He sighed and looked back into the dark cellar, letting his eyes re-adjust to the dark. He felt his way over to one of the wooden crates and quietly shoved it up against the wall, under the window. He placed his hands on the top of the box, ready to hoist himself up. The thick layer of dust and grime made his palms slide across the wood and he withdrew, disgusted. Gods he wished Andrew hadn’t taken his gloves. He wiped his hands across the front of his shirt and then planted them more firmly on the crate, before carefully climbing atop it. He positioned himself across from the window, and butted his shoulder and arm against the glass, shoving with all his might. After a moment it popped free, swinging up and outward.<br/>
          He didn’t stop to look back. Varian scrambled out of the window and took off into the surrounding forest without a second thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Don't worry, nothing good ever lasts.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>          Cass was tidying up her campsite, stomping out the last of the coals from her breakfast cookfire. She was only a week away from Corona now, it would be her first time back in almost a year. Since...Zan Tiri. The thought made her stomach roil with nervous energy- but still, she was excited. She was going home.</p>
<p>          She had almost completely finished packing, her tent and bedroll were folded and ready by Fidella’s saddle. She had finished closing up her pack when a loud crack of a branch sounded from deeper in the forest. The sound of frantic footsteps, twigs snapping, and heavy breathing was growing ever closer.<br/>          Her sword was drawn in an instant, ready for an attack. And then a short thin boy ran face-first into her with a shout. They both fell backwards to the ground, but Cassandra was quicker to compose herself. She jumped to her feet, levelling her blade at - Varian?<br/>          “Varian?!” He looked up at his name, and instant relief flooded his face. He was breathing too hard to respond and seeing now that he had run into the arms of a friend he took a moment to lean forward and try to catch his breath. He looked like shit, his face bloody and bruised, his nose was crooked and he was holding his ribs like it hurt to breathe. Cass threw her blade aside and crouched down in front of him.<br/>          “What the hell happened to you?” She pulled his hands away from his face to try and get a better look, and he let out a sharp wine.<br/>          “Varian-" she tried again, but he just shook his head, still trying to recover his breath. She sat back on her heels and waited. It took longer than Cass liked, but eventually, he stopped heaving and coughing. She still held his hands in hers, and she looked down to find his wrists raw. Rope burn - someone had tied him up, someone had hurt him. Cassandra was thrown back to the image of Varian as her captive, trying to fight off the truth serum, of him rubbing his wrists after she’d removed the black rock restraints. A wave of guilt washed over her, and then she saw red.</p>
<p><br/>          “Who did this to you?” she growled.<br/>          “An-Andrew.” Varian managed and Cassandra felt her blood thicken. Varian pulled his hands back to grasp his side. “Cass, Cass I need uhg” he panted and doubled over again.<br/>          “What?!” She reached for him again but stopped herself. He was hurt badly and she didn't want to aggravate whatever injuries he might have. He looked back up at her with pleading eyes, and she was horrified when they welled up and a few round tears fell onto his cheeks.<br/>          “Don’t - please don’t, ugh, I need help but I don’t want it to change th-the way you see me.”<br/>          “Whatever you need, gods, Varian! Please just let me help you!”<br/>          “I need you to help me take this off,” he undid the buttons on his vest and weakly lifted his shirt up to reveal a tight fabric over his chest. “It's compressing my ribs and Andrew kicked them. I think they are cracked and if I keep this on for much longer they could break.”<br/>          “What the fuck?” Cass said, lifting his shirt all the way to reveal the binder.<br/>          “Just - Cass, please.” Varian whimpered as she pushed his vest off his shoulders.<br/>          “Okay, okay what do I do? I don’t want to hurt you.”<br/>          “Do you have any shears? I think you’ll have to cut it off.” Cass already knew she didn't, but she upended her backpack anyway.<br/>          “I’ve got a knife.” She pulled her hunting blade out of its sheath. Varian paled but nodded. She carefully lifted the shirt over his head, he was holding his shoulder funny, so she tried not to move his arms too much. Then she plucked the tight binding away from his chest and slipped her knife in. She went slow, making sure the blade didn't even touch his skin. The fabric fell apart, and Varian quickly brought his arms up to cover himself, looking away from Cass in shame. Cass sat back on her heels again, unsure of what to say. After a moment she leaned towards him again.</p>
<p><br/>          “I need to see your ribs.” She went to gently lift his arms away but he pulled away from her. He was crying in earnest now, silent tears running down his face. He was hurt and probably exhausted and scared, he didn't need her to question whatever this was.<br/>          “Varian, please, it’s okay. It is going to be okay. I just want to look at your ribs and shoulder” she said gently. He still would not look at her but he let his arms fall to his sides. “Thank you.” She said and then scooted closer so she could pull the binding fabric completely off. She was careful to keep her eyes trained away from his chest. The left side of his abdomen was mottled with deep purple and black bruises that ran along his ribs and under his arm. He was holding his left shoulder at an awkward angle and she noticed some bruising there as well.<br/>         </p>
<p>          “Can I touch you, just here and here.” She pointed to his ribs and arm. He still wasn’t looking at her and the stream of tears was steady. He didn’t say anything, just gave a small nod. Cass nodded in return and then gently lifted his arm. She prodded the bruises, eliciting a small hiss from Varian, and then she moved his arm around, rotating the joint. Varian pursed his lips and tried to stay quiet as she continued her examination. The bruising around his ribs was bad, but nothing felt out of place so she could only assume his diagnosis of a cracked rib was correct. His shoulder had clearly been dislocated but it seemed to have popped itself back into place at some point.</p>
<p><br/>          “Okay, not much we can do here, let’s get your shirt back on.” She lifted it over his head and carefully manoeuvred his bad arm into its sleeve. She went through her own bag to find a spare shirt, which she tore into strips to make a sling. She tied it around his neck and carefully tucked his arm in so it wouldn't jostle. Then she took the remaining fabric and dampened it with her waterskin.</p>
<p><br/>          “Okay, look at me now.” She gently lifted his face and started to wipe away the dried blood and tears. “This is going to hurt, so take a deep breath for me.” She said as she ran her fingers along the ridge of his nose, finding the break. He took a sharp inhale and closed his eyes as she set the bone. Varian held onto the breath for a moment, and then let the air hiss out from between his lips. She re-wet the cloth and held it to his nose for a moment, letting him enjoy its coolness. After another once over she decided there wasn't much else to be done, and she guided his hand up to hold the cloth himself. She was up in an instant, re-packing her bag and saddling up Fidella.</p>
<p><br/>          “Andrew did this?” She asked curtly. Varian nodded.<br/>          “He got out of prison then. And he took you.” It wasn't a question but Varian nodded anyway. “How did he get you here?”<br/>          “Balloon. They grabbed me from my lab last night.”<br/>          “How did you escape?”<br/>          “They threw me in a cellar in this old cottage in the woods” He pointed back the direction he had come from. “I managed to get out of the ropes and pop the window.”<br/>          “And then you ran into me.”<br/>          “Then I ran into you,” Varian nodded again.<br/>          “Then we need to get you back to Corona, now.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's easy to write a chapter when you are supposed to be working apparently.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I am going to need to start changing tags i think. Dysphoria and violence in this chapter my dudes, be warned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>          Fidella couldn't keep up a full-on gallop with two riders on her back, but she sensed their urgency and could manage a fast trot. Cass wasn't sure Varian would have been able to handle a gallop anyway, he was clearly exhausted and hurting. The jostling from the canter alone was enough to have his teeth grinding. She had pulled him up into the saddle behind her and instructed him to hold on with his good arm. They had only been riding for a few hours but already his grip around her was becoming slack. She was quick to tap him on the hand every time she felt him swaying.<br/>          Before leaving the camp she’d given him her waterskin and a handful of dried fruits and nuts to keep him going but she was going to have to catch something if they wanted any substantial meal today. She had been planning on stopping in Vardaros but that wasn’t an option anymore. If Andrew was out looking for Varian then they needed to move as fast as they could.</p>
<p><br/>          Still, Varian was slipping again, and Cass had to grab his arm roughly this time to stop him from sliding off the back. She pulled up on the reins to slow Fidella to a walk. Varian was breathing heavily, his body shaking with the effort of keeping upright.<br/>          “Let’s take a quick break,” Cass said, dismounting before Varian could weigh in on the matter. She lifted him down and pushed the waterskin back into his hands. They were near the edge of a rocky outcropping, with a sheer-face drop, but down at the bottom, there was a running stream. They could refill their waterskins there, but they would have to take the long way down.</p>
<p>          She let Varian sit and drink the rest of the water while she searched for the best way forward. There were really very few short-cuts between here and Corona that would get Varian home and safe in less than 6 days, and with the condition Varian was in it might take longer. She pulled a map from her pack, trying to plot the best route that would take them to settlements where they could get provisions without taking them too far off course. After a long moment of studying the map Cassandra realised that for someone who was usually very talkative, Varian was being worryingly quiet. She looked up at him. He was sitting where she had left him, the empty waterskin abandoned at his side. He was alarmingly pale and staring off into the distance, his face blank, his good hand hovering over his chest.</p>
<p><br/>          “Does it still hurt to breathe?” she asked, startling him out of his daze.<br/>          “No! I mean..well yes. It’s fine. It’s okay now.” He stuttered over his words. Cass nodded.<br/>          “Why do you do that?” she asked. Varian stared back at her blankly. Cass motioned to her chest and raised an eyebrow. “That.” Varian scowled and looked away from her, trying to cross his arms over his chest, but remembering too late one arm was in a sling. He settled for wrapping his good arm around himself gingerly.<br/>          “I’m not what you think.” He said quietly.<br/>          “And what do I think?” Cass asked, her face expressionless. She was clearly stepping into uncharted waters, territory that Varian didn’t want to give up to her. But Cass needed to understand and more importantly, Cass needed to make sure he was okay.<br/>          “You think I’m a girl.” He whispered, and the tears were back with ferocity, streaking down his face once more. Cass sat in shocked silence for a moment.<br/>          “I think,” Cass started slowly, choosing her words carefully. “That you are Varian, the smartest kid I know, the most revered alchemist and engineer in all the 7 kingdoms, the son of Quirn of Old Corona, and my friend who tried to help me even when I was in the darkest place. Nothing else matters.” Varian glanced up at her and then away, staying silent. Cassandra scooted closer to him, just close enough to brush elbows. “You are who you say you are, you don’t have to prove anything to me or anyone else. But this” she gestures to her chest again. “You have hardly anything there, you can’t tell oh my gods Varian, you don’t have to wear that thing if it hurts you.”<br/>          Varian choked out a surprised laugh, letting his hand run over his chest. “It doesn't usually hurt, but you’re not supposed to wear it for prolonged periods of time. And you know, since its purpose is to flatten things out, getting kicked in the ribs really doesn't help much.” He lifted his hand to dry his tears, still finding it hard to make eye contact with her.</p>
<p>          The darkening bruises under his eyes and along his cheekbones were stark against his pale skin. There was a sheen of sweat on his brow and his eyes were hazy, unfocused. Cass watched him closely as he rubbed his eyes and then let out a low moan and dipped his head down to rest on his knees. He sat like that for a long moment, his breathing a little uneven, but much better since the binder had come off.</p>
<p>          “Do you have any more water?” His voice was small, and his face, still tucked into his knees, was pinched.<br/>          “No, I’m sorry. There is a stream at the bottom of the cliff, we can fill up there.” Varian nodded slowly and then uncurled himself and made to stand. Satisfied that he was rested enough to continue, Cass turned back to the map, folding it up and tucking it away again. She heard Varian take a sharp breath followed by a soft thud. Cass whipped around to find Varian on the ground again. His good hand was clenched in a fist in the grass, and his face was pinched and pale.<br/>          “Fuck!” she hissed and hurried to prop him up. “What's wrong?”<br/>          “Dizzy.” He whispered, his eyes still squeezed shut. Sweat was dripping off his forehead now, and he listed to the side in her grip. She lifted him up slowly, gently guiding his good arm over her shoulder. His hand was cold and sweaty.<br/>          “Okay, let's get you some more water. Let's get moving.” She helped him over to Fidella and then lifted him back into the saddle. He swayed for a moment and she held him in place as he concentrated on breathing. Then Cass swung one leg up and over the saddle and grabbed the reins.<br/>          “Lean on me and hold on tight, okay? Don’t you dare fall off.” She wrapped his good arm around her middle again and he mumbled something she took as confirmation. She snapped the reins and Fidella took off once more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>          It wasn't long before Varian’s breathing picked up again, and Cass felt him bury his head into her back, his arm wrapped around her holding on for dear life. She glanced down at his fist, balled up in her shirt, his knuckles were white he was holding on so tightly. They still had a ways to go along the cliffside before it turned into a more manageable slope. The cliffside stretched on and out of Cassandra’s sight, and she knew from experience that getting up and down the steep slope at the end of the pass was challenging and time-consuming. She felt a tremor run through Varian and he gripped her tightly. She urged Fidella on, moving a little faster now. Varian said something, the words lost in her tunic. She turned her head to indicate she was listening, difficult to do with the wind in her ears.</p>
<p>          “Cass.” He said again. “Stop.” She pulled up on the reins abruptly.<br/>          “What’s wrong-” she started to ask, but Varian was already sliding off the saddle. Cass grabbed the collar of his shirt to stop him from falling face-first into the ground, and once he touched down he stumbled out of her grasp and then landed on his good hand and knees. He let out a choking sound and Cass jumped down to help him but he was throwing up his breakfast before she could get to his side. She pulled the hair away from his face while he coughed up mostly water and bile. After a few terrible moments, his heaving stopped and Cass let him lean against her, too exhausted to stay upright.<br/>          “Varian?” She couldn’t keep the concern out of her voice. He only moaned in response, before reaching up with his good hand and pressing it to his head.<br/>          “Varian, what’s wrong? What hurts?”<br/>          “Hit my head. Twice.” He mumbled.<br/>          “What?! Why didn’t you tell me?”<br/>          “Forgot.” He answered lamely. Cass pulled his hand away from his face and told him to open his eyes. His pupils were mismatched, one dilated more than the other. His gaze was unfocused, he stared up past her at the sky. With one hand she carefully felt the welt on his head. He stiffened in her arms, suddenly taking a sharp breath in.<br/>          “Sorry.”<br/>          “Cass!” His voice was high and laced with fear. His eyes had found something above her to focus on. Cassandra turned and saw the balloon in the sky not very far above them. The figures in it were leaning out of the basket and pointing. The Saporians had spotted them.<br/>          “Shit!” The concussion would have to wait. She grabbed Varian and tossed him back onto Fidella and jumped up after him. They took off at a gallop - if they could just get into the forest and get cover maybe they could hide. Cassandra yanked on the reins, steering the mare to the left, toward the treeline. A volley of arrows shot down before the trees causing the horse to rear back. Cass felt Varian lose his grip on her, and then he was gone. Cassandra dragged the reins of the horse back the way they had come, taking them in one hand so she could grab the downed alchemist with the other. The Saporians were shouting over her now, the balloon almost on them. Varian was still dazed on the ground but he had the good sense to raise his hand towards her as Cassandra rode past. The balloon touched down as another round of arrows were fired. One clipped her outstretched hand and she withdrew with a gasp. The Saporians were running at them now, Andrew at the head of the pack. He had abandoned his crossbow and had his sword drawn. Cass pulled Fidella to a stop between Varian and the Saporians and then hopped down, her own blade ready.</p>
<p><br/>          “Varian, run!” She commanded without turning back to face him, to see if he obeyed. She couldn’t beat all of them but she could buy him time. Andrew’s blade met hers with a clash.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>          Varian could barely hear over the blood rushing in his head, his adrenaline had spiked as his body was screaming run at him. The scenery around him was blurry, hard to make out, but he knew there was cover in the forested area to his left. He staggered to his feet and then started to dash. He could not be caught again, there was no way Andrew was going to let him survive if he caught him.<br/>          Behind him, he could hear shouting and weapons clashing, but it was all muffled by his own frantic heartbeat. Fingers brushed his shoulder, but he didn’t even dare to look back, just gave everything he had into going faster. His new burst of speed took him into the forest and he had to weave and bob between the trees, it was difficult to do when they were all dancing and spinning in his vision. Branches scratched his face, leaving cuts along his body as he ran past. He refused to slow down. He was not going to be caught again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>          Cassandra was holding her own against the three Saporians who had stayed to fight her. Andrew, this big one, and the little witchy woman had her surrounded and were taking turns attacking, leaving her no option but to block constantly. She had tried to stop the other two from running past her but Andrew had quickly engaged her and pushed her back. He lunged forward again and this time stayed within her range long enough for them to exchange a few blows.<br/>         </p>
<p>          “Hey, Cassie, long time no see.” He had the smug grin on his face that she hated so much.<br/>          “Honestly, I wouldn't have minded longer.” She grit out, catching Andrew’s sword from the snap position and wrenching it from his hands. She didn’t have time to celebrate the victory, the other two descended on her quickly and she had to retreat to avoid the flurry of attacks. From behind her she heard Varian scream and her focus broke, she turned to run to his aid. Andrew took the opportunity to get past her guard and bring the heel of his palm into her chest, sending her reeling to the ground. Cassandra scrambled to her feet and took off in the direction of the trees. She needed to get to Varian.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>          His vision was narrowing. Varian’s lungs were burning and he didn’t know how much farther he could go. But stopping absolutely was not an option. He could hear trampling not far behind him, he still refused to look back. He didn’t see the low-hanging bough in front of him, and it dragged across his arm and shoulder making him hiss and his eyes well up, but he didn’t stop. He was not going to stop, he was going to run all the way back to Corona if he had to.<br/>          He ducked around the next tree but quickly had to avoid the snatching hands of the older Saporian who had managed to catch up to him. Varian veered right to avoid him but the woman had flanked him. She grabbed at his sling and Varian let out a yelp as it wrenched his arm out of place. He ducked out of the fabric and kept running, leaving nothing but the cloth in Mazie’s hand as he escaped. The man lunged for him again and Varian tripped on his feet avoiding him. He landed hard on his hands and knees but scrambled onto his back. The older Saporian pounced on him but Varian was ready, drawing his legs up to kick the man in the gut, hard. He tried to kick away the woman too but she evaded and then grabbed his leg, dragging him forward so he lost his leverage. She jumped on top of him, trying to pin down his limbs but Varian was fighting hard. He threw his fist up and caught her in the jaw. He clawed at her face and threw punch after punch but she held him firmly. The other man had sprung back up to his feet now and he marched over to where Varian was pinned. He raised up his foot and brought it down hard on Varian’s leg. Bright white pain exploded from his leg as it emitted a loud crack. Varian screamed, and then his eyes rolled back and he passed out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>          Cass scrambled to make it to the treeline but Andrew was right on top of her, and he had retrieved his sword. He pushed her back, towards the perilous cliff edge. The other Saporians drew in, cutting her off. She stood, breathing hard for a moment, waiting, while they drew near, weapons extended. From the forest, a lot of swearing and commotion could be heard. The other two Saporians emerged dragging a barely conscious Varian with them. They dropped him unceremoniously at Andrew’s feet. Andrew grinned down at the alchemist, before turning his attention back to Cassandra.</p>
<p><br/>          “We don’t have to fight Cassie, I’ve got what I want. Let’s leave it at that.” He offered, toeing Varian in the side with his boot. Varian’s eyes fluttered open and then closed again as he dipped in and out of consciousness. His breathing was laboured and Cassandra noticed the twisted angle of his foot. She narrowed her eyes and then looked back up at Andrew.<br/>          “Go to hell.” She said and then lunged at him.</p>
<p>          Cass was clearly the better swordsman, but she was outnumbered. Varian was only conscious enough to catch glimpses of the fight. Andrew waited for his opening, and after his gang had disarmed her, he with one outstretched palm pushed her back and off the edge of the cliff. Varian couldn’t get to his feet in time, not that it would have mattered. He wouldn't have been fast enough to grab her, strong enough to keep her from falling. The blood rushed in his ears as he screamed. Cass didn’t make a sound as Andrew threw her over the cliffside.</p>
<p>          Varian kept screaming, calling her name over and over, hot tears running over his face. Kai grabbed him as Varian tried to struggle over to the cliff's edge as well. Andrew straightened and dusted his hands off, letting a cold sneer overcome his face as he locked eyes with the alchemist.<br/>          He walked over to stand in front of Varian, towering over him. Andrew regarded the weeping child before him for a moment and then he backhanded Varian across the face. The force of the blow was almost enough to tear him from Kai’s grip - almost. Andrew leaned down and cupped Varian’s face in his hand, pulling the boys chin up to force him to meet Andrew’s eyes.<br/>          Varian’s eyes were red and wet with tears. Andrew took a moment to admire the bruising pattern that was forming along where his hand had struck. It was the same place he had hit him last night. The overlapping bruises of varying shades made an interesting pattern. He should consider keeping Varian alive after all this - he looked good with bruises.</p>
<p>          “I don’t know why you think anyone is coming for you, why anyone would want you back. All you do is hurt people. All you do is get them killed.” Andrew gestured with his other hand back towards the cliff. “If you had just stayed put Cassie would still be alive. You’ve killed her.”<br/>          “No!” Varian choked on a broken sob.<br/>          “Tie him up good this time, and get him in the balloon, we’ve wasted enough time.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am so sorry for all this, I promise i did not kill Cass. She's gonna be okay.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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